SF 523 
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Copy 1 



HOW TO KEEP BEES 



ARTHUR C. MILLER 



BtnU of 5St|0&p dlolaitft mxh l^vomhtmt piantattnttB. 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

JOHN J. DUNN, Secretary. 



Entomological Department. 

A. EDWARD STENE, Entomologist. 




Part of a l'itt_\- ( 'dlouy Apiary at Howard, R. I. — After Prooiilciicc .Imininl. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



ARTHUR C. MILLER. 



.■^i.Ov'-.S-^, 



Abstract from Report of State Board of Agriculture for 1910. 



PROVIDENCE: 

E. L, FREEMAN COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS 
1911. 



^\^ 







1 

1 ' 



PREFACE. 



Bee keeping as a pastime or liobl:)y is quite extensively practiced 
in this as well as in other States. Only occasionally, however, do 
we find persons who enter into it as their princij^al business, or even 
as a money-making side line. 

There is a good chance for an enlargement of this industry' in 
Rhode Island. The market for good honey is not overstocked. In 
fact, we could with great advantage to ourselves supplant with 
honey some of the sweets now consumed, and it is safe to say that 
were the advantages of honey as a food well and generally known, 
and were the supply adequate;, the number of bee keepers of both 
kinds, vocational as well as avocational, could be increased many 
times over without cnuiting a surplus in the market. 

From an economic standpoint also bee keeping should be en- 
couraged. Bees gather and store for human consumption a product 
which is otherwise wholly wasted, and whih^ so doing they render 
valuable service to the ]ilants by aiding cross fcn'tilization in return 
for the nectar secured. In the case of fruit trees, this is of immense 
advantage to the orchardist. 

Bees require but little attention, and the outfit necessary for their 
care and housing is nominal in cost. While, as Mr. Mill(M- states, 
our thickly forested areas are not adapted to extensive be(^ keeping, 
still there is abundant pasturage for a great many times the numbei' 
of hives which are now in the State. It is therefore to l)e hoped that 
we may have in the near future a consitlerabk^ increase in this in- 
dustry, and it is the purpose of the Board of Agriculture t-o iV)ster it 
so far as lies within its i)ower. 



4 Sl^A'TE BOARD OF ACiRICULTURE. 

An excclloiit ai^iary inspection law has been passed which will aid 
in clieckinji; the spread of bee diseases and in the dissemination of 
better knowledge in regard to diseases and methods of eradicating 
them. 

A brief l)ulletin entitled "Bee Keeping in Rhode Island," which 
deals with the principal bee diseases and their control, has already 
l)een issued. The present bulletin on "How to Keep Bees," aims to 
give a full account of the practice of bee keeping, and the fact that 
the author is a bee keeper of long experience, who not only knows the 
practical side, but has also sought the fullest information through 
other avenues, assures us that the directions presented can be given 
the fullest credence and can be studied to advantage by every bee 
keeper, but particularly by beginners who wish a brief and concise 
treatise relating to the industry. 

The Board of Agriculture is indebted to the A. I. Hoot (\)m])any, 
Medina, Ohio, for all the cuts used in this bulletin, and to A. H. 
Gurney, of the Providence Journal, for the pictures from which 
halftones were made, showing apiaries at Howard and Knightsville. 

A. E, IStene. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



Arthur C. Miller, 

INSPECTOR OF APIARIES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Rhode Island offers excellent opportunities for profitable bee 
culture. The soil is diversified, the flora is varied and extensive 
and the climate is not rit;orous. Some of the more densely wooded 
parts of the Stat*; are not ada])ted to the jnirsuit as a business, nor 
even adapted to the sup])ort of mor(^ than a few colonies here and 
there. Other parts, particularly those having considerable dairy 
farming or fruit growing, are well adapted to l)ee culture on a 
substantial scale and here and there ai'e locations which compare 
favorably with tlui best in the land and will profitably support large 
apiaries. 

In times past bees were to be found on man}' fai'ms and in many a 
village yard, but to-day they are far less often met with. The reasons 
for this coiulition are man}% Init probably the most important has 
been loss or meagre profit diu; to the lack of information as to the 
proper care of bees. 

To aid in (!xtending bee-keeping in this State and to make it easier 
and more profitable are the objects of this bulletin. 

PASTURAGE. 

Bees may ])e ke])t almost anywhere and in almost any sort of a 
receptacle, but to make them profital)le several factors must be con- 
sidered. The first and most im])ortant is the pasturages, for if that is 
not good, all Ww. skill in the world will avail but little. 



b STATK BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 

The soui'ccs of honey in Hliodc Ishiiul grouped in tlie order of thoir 
a])])earance are willows, maples, elms and other less numerous trecss 
\\liieli furnish the bees with the. early svn)i)ly of pollen aud honey so 
useful and so ue<'(lfid in buildini; up the bee })opulation preparatory 
to the liarx'est in which the l)eckeeper shares. 

Next comes the fiuit blossoms, ])each, jjIuiu, cheny, pear, a}iple, 
hucklebei'ries and bluebeiries which, when the spring is favorable, 
yield good (■roi)S of (he finest hone}'. In some [)la('(^s dandelions are 
an im])oi'tant addition to the fruit bloom, though not always coming 
at the same time. After the lapse of a week or t(ui days the main 
ci-op of the yeai' comes from the white and alsike clovers. In some 
paits of th(t State these aie accompanied l)y a lu^avy but brief flow 
of watei'-white honey from the locust, and are soon followed by 
chest mil which yields a rich, heavy, but dark honey. 

In man\- s(;ctions sunuu-s furnish the next crop, and where they 
are abunilant the beekee])er may rightly look for a good crop of a 
ver\- fail' honey. 

In some of the more swam])y and less settled sections, Ijutton bush, 
clethra (sweet peppei' bush) and clematis yield a white and highly 
tlavoi'ed honey, that from clematis being of the veiy liighest (juality. 
]^u{ the yield from these plants seems to be irregular, in some years 
being almost absent. 

In some of the xillages and cities the hAiro|)ean Lindens ar(:^ num- 
(irous and yield heavily. The bloom comes toward the end of the 
clox'ei' (low, though the (ime of llowei'ing of different trees in the 
same neighborhood \';i.ries greatly. Native Linden (Basswootl) is 
now h>nnd oidy in a few places. The s(uison closes with the golden- 
rods and asters which yield ;i I'ich ai'omatic li<jn(;y, but which is not 
.acceptable to m.aiiy peisons. The ci'o]) from these two soui'ces is not 
;dw;iys to be depended u|ion, being moi'e affected by the weather 
than some of the ot hei's. 

iMaiiy othei' llowcrs contribute to the harvest, l)ut s(ddom to any 
great extent . 

It is impoi'tant that t he bee-keepei' should know well the jnisturage 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 7 

of his bees and govern himself accordingly. Jf his ci'op nnist depend 
only on one of the gi'oups, h(( must needs bend evciy energy to get 
that, but if he has two or more to deixaid on he can \avy his ])lans. 

Bees range for food about two miles from home, but the best rcisults 
are secured when the pasturage is within a mile of the apiai-y. Bear 
these facts in mind when seeking the location foi' an apiary and if 
already located, make a careful inspection of the count ly round about 
and determin(! the sources of supply. 



LOCATION OF THE HIVES. 

The hives should be in a somewhat sheltci-ed place, prctci'ably 
wh<'re they get the nioi'iiing sun and arc shaded in the heat of the day. 
As the prevailing winds in the States are from the west and southwest, 
it has been found advantageous to face the hi\-es to the soiUheast oi' 
east. If on flat lands or low lands ,l)y all means laise t he hives about 
a foot from the gi'ouud. It puts them abovi; a, sti'ata of cold fog 
which in the night often lies about six or eight inches deep iu such 
places. 

Having the hives so raised will b(^ fouiul to be helpful in otlier 
ways. They are more con\'enient to work at, aic up out of the grass, 
weeds and dirt, and where sun<lrv vernnn will not disturb them. 

Any convenient thing will do to set the hi\-es on, but a stand made 
of spruce fence-rails after the following design has pi'oved satisfac- 
tory in many years of service. The writer })refers a stand which 
will hold two hives and allow about eight inches between them. (Hee 
Figure 1.) 




Fic.. 1. — Hive Stani 



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STATE BOAHD OF AliHlCHLTURE. 



If the logs iiro creosotod or limed, or lime or waste from electric 
batteries is put on the ground where they stand, they last a long 
time. Battery waste; will also kill the grass and weeds. 

HIVES. 

Any of the hives ronnnonly offered by tlui manufacturers of bee- 
keepers sujjplies will do, l)ut the more simple they ar(; and the fewer 
the loose i)arts, the moi'e satisfiu-tory they will pi-ove in the long run. 
Perhaps the most uni\'ersal hi\'e now in use is called tlie ''Dove- 
tailed" hi\'(', nam('(l fi'om the luanncr of its locked corners. (Hv.c 
Figure 2.) The hives known by this name all take the Langstroth 
frame, which nn asures 17i^ by 'Jl inches outside measui'e. 




Fig. 2.— r)(nct(iile(l Hive 

These hix'cs ;ii'e commonly furnislietl in two widtlis called the 
eight -frame and the ten-fi-ame. The former lias had a gi'eat vogU(^ 
but is now I'apidly being discai'deil for the ten-frame size, and the 
beginnei- should Ix' sure to get the latter. The keeper of a few 
colonies who contemplates increasing shovdd b\- all means change to 
the larger size. 

The hives having double walls with confined air sjiaces b(;tween 
or hlled with chaff oi' sawdust are good, but they cost more, ai'c 
unwieldy, and in many ways !<'ss desii'able. They are suj)pos(Ml to 
keep the bees wai'm in winter and make safer wintering, l)ut as the 
tenn)eratui-e within the hive and outside of the cluster of bees in 
wintei- is |)ractj'ca]ly the same as out of doors, the advantage; is im- 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



9 



aginaiy rather than rcaL During the rest of the year, however, 
such hives are some help to the bees, but in this chmato the advan- 
tages are not commensurate with the cost and inconvenience. An 
outer case answers the same purpose and is more convenient. (See 
Figures). 




Fig. 3. — Outer Case. 



Hives of different sizes and proportions are used and advocated by 
different persons. They are designed to meet some need of the bee- 
keeper, or are based on some theory of bee habits, but with one ex- 
ception it is believed they all call for a lot of attention and manipula- 
tion at critical times. The average person will do well to avoid 
them. There is one typo of hive, however, which is designed to 
minimize labor and give average results. It is known as the "Let 
Alone " hive. The type was originally exploited by Gen. D. L. 
Adair, in the late '60 's, and was then called the " Long Itlea " hive. 
Some few years ago Mr. Allen Latham of Norwich, Conn., experi- 
mented with it, and finally developed the present type which he has 
called the "Let Alone." It is approximately thirty-six inches long, 
twenty inches wide, and eighteen inches high. In the Adair hive 
the entrance was in the middle of the long side, in the Latham hive 
it extends across one end. Mr. Latham had the advantage of an 
invention which Adair had not, namely, the so-called queen-excluding 
metal. Also Mr. Latham is a very careful student of bee habits. 



10 



STATE BOARD OF A( JKICULTUUE. 



aii(i with the knowlcMloc acquiiXMl in many years' work with the bees, 
was able to accomplish what had not Ix'fore been done. 

In the Adair hive the (jueen had the run of all the combs (about 
twenty) ; in the Latham hive slie is confincMl to the seven at the 
front, being kept from the otliers ))y a sheet of the queen-excduding 
metal. (See Figure 4). 




Fig. 4.— Excluder .\|pt:il. 

These hi\'es are really the tools of a high class specialist and while 
they will often succeed in the hands of a novice, their continued and 
imiform success on the nuninuun of labor plan calls for the knowledge 
only to be gained 1)V long and careful observation of bees and their 
ways. 

These are s})ecial hives which nuist l)e made t(j order. The frames 
are nearly five inches dee[)er than the standard Langstroth frame and 
these frames also ha\'e to ]>e made to order. The top bars and end 
liars of the frames touch the wliolc length when the frames are in 
place in the hive, so that the l)ees can only pass out at the liottom. 
Beveled cleats tire nailed along the lower inside corners of the hive and 
against these the liottom corners of the frames touch, keeping the bees 
from going behind the frames and virtually making a Ijox within a box. 
The tops of the frames are al)out an inch below the top e(lge of the 
Inve and Mr. Latham uses a few la3'ers of newspapers and a thin 
wooden cover on top of the frames. The cover proper has a three 
inch rim and fits down over the lu\-e. Hive l^od}^ and cover are 
covered with heavy waterproof paper, ])lack in color. The entrance 
which is an inch high, is guarded by a row of fine wire nails driven 
up through the floor. These are space(l far enough a})art to }icrmit 
the bees to pass freely and yet ])revent the ingress of mice. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



11 



The bees and queen are started in the frames in the front end of 
the hive and are thereafter never disturbed iniless external appear- 
ances indicate something wrong inside. When th(^ bees have the 
front or brood compartment fiUed they spread through the exchider 
metal into the space behind. The frames there have only '' starters " 
of comb foundation as guides for the bees. At the convenience of 
the beekeeper the honey in these frames is removed and the frames 
returned. 

FRAMES, SUPERS, ETC. 

Frames may bo placed in two classes, free hanging and self spacing, 
and the latter again into hanging and standing. Probably the most 
extensively used and the best for the beginner are the self spacing 
frames of the Hoffman type illustrated here. (Figure oa). 




Fig. 5a. — Self-Spacing Frames. 



These frames have grooves in the toj) bar for fixing the comb 
foundation and holes in the end bars for wires. Fine tinned wire is 
threaded through these holes, stretched tight and fastened. To 
these the sheets of foundation are fastened by emlx'dding the 
wire in the wax. Various devices are sold for the purpose, but any 
narrow piece of iron with a notch filed in the end will do. The tail 



12 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 




Fic. 51i. — Showing iiKuiiier of fastening Foundation 
in Frame. 

of an old file is just right. This is kept wafin over an oil stove or 
lamp and is used by drawing the notch along the wire, bearing on 
just enough to l)ed the wire without cutting through the sheet of 
wax. In doing this work the frame is slipped over a board on which 
the foundation is laid. 

It is advisal)le to wire all lirood frames as they may then be 
handled more readily, and if colonies of bees are shipped any distance, 
there will l:)e no danger of wired comics Ijreaking down. 




Fig. G.i. — Shallow I-:xtiactiri.j; iManu'. 

"Shallow frames" are nmch like the others except that they are 
only from 4\ td •' '. indies deep. They ari' used in shallow chambers 




Fig. Gb. — Hive with Shallow Extracting Super. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



13 



called supers, and the filled combs are either cut from them or un- 
capped, and the honey extracted. Then* arc not usually wired. 
(Figures 6a and 6b). 

Arrangements for producing honey in sections are somewhat more 
complicat<'d. The shallow chaml:)er is much the same as above, but 
special holders are provided for carrying small boxes or ''sections" 
in which the bees build the combs. Strips of tin or wood separate 
each row of sections to prevent the bees bulging the surface of the 
combs. (Figure 7). 




Fig. 7. — Hive with Comb Hciuej' Super. 



HOXEY BOARDS. 



Honev I)oartls, so-called, are devices for use between the body 
(!)rood chamber) of the hi\-o and the surplus compartment (super). 
The most satisfactory one is made of slats l)etween which are fixed 
perforated strips of metal or accurately spaced wires to prevent the 




Fig. S.— Honev Board. 



14 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



queen ]);issing into the super. There is a rim around the edge so 
phiced as to be flush on one surface and raisetl on the other, giving a 
bee spare. The Ijec space side is used ujiperniost. (Figure S). 

BEE ESCAPES. 

A l^ee escape is a sort of fly trap device, permitting the passage of 
the l:)ees in one (hrection only, and is used in a l:)oard phiced between 
the l)ro()d chanil)er and the super to free the super from bees when 




Fi(,. 9. — Bee Escape iu Boar 



it is desired to I'emovc* the honey. It is a most useful contrivance, 
but its success depends upon there l)eing no brood in the supers. 
(Figure d). 

DRONE AND QUEEN TRAP. 

The drone and ([ueen trap is a two eompartment box for use at the; 
hive entrance to catch drones and the (jueen, if a swarm issties. So far 
as drones are concerned, it is far better to avoid their presence by 
having coml:)S built from full sheets of foundation. The few drone; 
cells then constructed around the edges will not i)roduco enough 
tlrones to do any harm. As a device for catching the qiteen when a 
swarm issues, it is sitccessful, imless the queen chances to l)e abnor- 
mally small. 

A woi'd of catition regarding the tise of the trap will not be amiss. 
It calls for attention and thought. It must frecpiently l:)e freed of 
drctnes, else ventilation is obstructed and the colony may suffocate 
if weathei- conilitions are right or shade is lacking. As a queen trap, 
it must be looked at every day, or the queen may be caught and 
]»erish if too long confined or a storm occurs. ^lany beekeepers have 
gi\'en up their use. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



15 



SMOKER. 

A good smoker is absolutely necessaiy. 
Without one it is impossilDle to readily handle 
the bees under all the varying conditions to l)e 
met with. Get one large enough. One having 
a barrel three and one-half inches in diameter 
is a good size, but if many bees are kept, a 
larger one will be found better. (Figure 10). 




Fi(i. 10. — Smoker 



FOUND ATIOX FASTENERS. 

If one is using sections, some sort of a device must be used for 
fastening the foundation in the sections, and any one of the various 

machines using a heated metal i^late 
will be found satisfactory. For only a 
few score sections a little melted wax 
may be used, but for rapid and ex- 
tended work bnv a fastener. 



HONEY EXTRACTOR. 

Fur extracted honey an extractor is 
necessary, and if much work of the kind 
is to be done, one of the "reversible" 
type will be found best. (Figure 11). 

HIVE TOOLS. 




Fii;. 11.— Extrartoi-. 



For prying open hives, separating frames, etc., for scraping off 
wax and propolis, some sort of a tool is needed. A putty knife if 
fairly stiff is excellent, or one of the special tools sold for the purpose 
mav be obtained. 



IG STATE BOARD OF AGrxICULTURE. 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



Comb foundation is beeswax made into thin sheets I'un through 
eml:)0ssing rolls which give it the shape of the midrib of honey-comb 
with an outline of the cell walls. It is made in several thicknesses 
and of worker size cells, drone comb foundation only being furnished 
on special order. It is one of the devices which the modern beekeeper 
cannot aftVtrd to do without. Drone coml) has about four cells to 
the linear inch, while worker coml) has five. (Figure 12). 

In brood frames use the lighter graders of " Brood foundation " and 
wire the frames. 




Drone Cells. Fig. 12. Worker Cells. 

In sections use the "light super" foundation until skilled in the art. 
The " extra light " sometimes bothers the novice. Many persons hesi- 
tate to use full sheets of foundation in the brood frames, deeming the 
sixty to seventy cents necessary for each ten frames an extravagance. 
It is a real economy, and the wise beekeeper will never hesitate to 
make tin expenditure in that line. 

CLOTHING. 

A veil for protecting the head from the bees is nocessar}'. It 
may l;)e ])urchased ready nuid(; or made at honu; fi'om netting. The 
l)art used before tlie face should l;)e black and preferably of silk tulle. 
The top may have an elastic cord run aj'ound it to slip over the hat 
crown or it ma_y b(; sewed to the rim of a hat. Similar veils are made 
of wire cloth with a "skirt" of cotton cloth attached to the lower 
edge to tuck under th«' coat or to tie down. (Figure 13). 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



17 



Oftentimes the experienced beekeeper works 
without any veil, but one is always kept at 
hand in case the bees become irritated or cross. 

Short gathered sleeves with elastic band in 
each end will be found excellent to keep l;)ees 
from getting inside the coat sleeves. Rubl^cr 
or leather gloves give confidence to the be- 
ginner, but will soon be discarded. Many 
other devices are offered for sale, but they are 
not necessary, and should not be purchased liy 
the beginner. 

Light colored clothing of smooth texture, preferal)ly of cotton, 
will be found better than rouuh woolens of dark color. 




Fi.;. 13.— Bee Veil. 



UMF0R3IITY OF APPLIANCES. 

Whatever type of hive is used be sure to have all alike, for unless 
all hives, frames, etc., are interchangeable endless trouble will ensue. 

It is not wise to tr}' to make one's own hives. Few persons have 
the tools or the skill necessary to produce a satisfactor}- article, and 
accuracy is essential. The vital principle of all movable comb 
beehives is the "bee-space," i. e., a space through which l)ees can 
pass and 3'et not so large as to intluce them to build combs therein. 
A space through which they cannot pass they fill with i)ropolis. 
Factory made hives have this detail carefully worked out. 

Catalogues of dealers in l^eekeepers' supplies furnish full information 
on the various appliances. 

The matter of hives and tools has seemingly perhaps been given 
undue attention, but unless the outfit is good the beekeeper will find 
much annoyance and needless labor, and unless he is a \'eteran, the 
troubles will make beekeeping so laborious and disagreea1:)le that it is 
likely to be abandoned in disgust. It is true that honey mav be 
ot:)tained even though the bees are kept in an old box or hollow log, 
but profit al)le bee cultun^ demands a suitable equipment. 



18 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



MAKING A START. 



It is bfist to l)iiy a .uood colony of boos in a standard liivo, buying 
from somo noarby beekeoper if possible. Also got for the first colony 
as gentle or easily-handled bees as the seller can furnish. If one's 
means warrant it, Iwy two such colonies, using one for study and 
experiment, and the other for honey, and as a reserve in case of 
disaster to the first, for frequent overhauling of a colony of boos is not 
conducive to its success or thrift. 

It has sometimes been advised to start by buying bees in a box or 
any old hive and transfer thom to a modern hive " for the experience.'' 
It is the sort of experience to dampen the ardor of the most en- 
thusiastic, and an experience which a wise and thrifty veteran 
avoids as he would a pestilence. 

TI3IE TO START. 

Ma}' and Juno are the most favoral)lo months to make a beginningv 
but July or August will do, ]~)roviiled the novice does not try to 
increase the stock by division of the colonies. In buying earlier 
than May, one is not so sure of ol:)taining a strong colony, and the 
desire to examine and overhaul them may be irresistible, and is likely 
to pi'ovo disastrous to the boos. If pui'cliasod in September or 
Octol)or, little o]){)ortunity is offei-od for study, and al)0\it all that can 
be done is to see that sufficient food is in the combs for winter use. 
Winter is a. most unwise time to buy Ix'cs, and even the skilled 
veteran avoids |)urcliaso then, mdess he is thoroughly familiar with 
conditions as they wore in the fall. 

BEES AND THEIR LIFE HISTORY. 

The more complete one's knowledge of the life and habits of the 
bees the easier and more rapid will be the progi'oss in learning how 
to keep tliem and the l)etter the chances for success. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



19 



THE QUEEN. 



The " queen, " so-called, is merely 
the mother bee, and there is normally 
but one in a colony. She lays all the 
eggs from which the bees of the col- 
ony are produced. Upon her xlgov and 
the virtues of her blood and mating 
depend the thrift of the colon}-. If she 
is old or failing, the colony dwindles. If 
her " blood " is not good her offspring can- 
not be expected to accomplish the results 
of offspring from a better bred queen. 
(See Figure 14). 

A queen lives for several years, but as a rule is past her prim(> and 
period of greatest usefulness after her second summer. There are 
exceptions to this, but the rule is a safe one to go b}', and all queens 
should be replaced by young ones after the second summer. Many 
successful l)eekeepers I'c-ciueen all colonies each year. 




Fig. 14. — Queen. 



THE WORKERS. 



These are the most numerous members of 
the colony. They are females, but with the 
reproductive organs not fully developed and 
only under some abnormal conditions do an}' 
of them lay eggs, such layers l)cing termed 
"laying workers" and their eggs produce only 
drones (males). 

The workers gather all the honev, pollen and 
propolis, secrete the wax. build th<; comb, 
maintaui the heat of the colonv, feed the larvte and do all the 
work of the hive. The}' are also the oiu s which do the stinging. 
(See Figure 15). 




20 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 




Tin. 16.-^Drone. 



THE DRONES. 

Those are the male bees and normally are 
produced only at such seasons as bees rear 
young ciueens and swarm. They have not the 
instinct nor are they constructed so they can 
woi'k. Their sole known function is to per- 
])etuate the race. They are much larger than 
work(>rs or queen and they have no sting. (See 
Figurs 16). 

BEE BEHAVIOR. 



The finidaniental law of honey-])ee life is co-operation. Though 
each indi\'idual go(\s about her work of her own volition, the results 
of her efforts are added to those of the rest of the colony. 

The bees cluster in a more or less compact mass for mutual warmth, 
and when so clustered ])uild their combs and care for their young. 
Within that cluster the temperature during the active season is close 
to 9S° F. The greater the number of bees the easier it is for them to 
maintain throughout the hive the necessary temperature. If colonies 
are not populous, the bees have to cluster more compactly, the 
cjueen 's room for laving is restricted, and during the harvest time the 
field force may only be able to get food enough for themselves and 
the nurses and young. 

In the winter a good colony of bees contains from 3,000 to 0,000 
workers. Along about tlie first of January the ([ueen begins to lay, 
slowly increasing lier laying as the season advances. As the young 
bees Ijogin to emerge? from the comb the rjueen becomes more active 
and, if everthing is normal, by the time fruit trees bloom, the whole 
ten coml:)s will contain some brood, most of the combs being well 
filled. A colony in such condition is ready for the harvest. 

If the inquisitive beekeeper frer|uently opens the hive in the spring, 
or keeps out combs imduly at that chilh^ season, abnormal conditions 
ai'e ])roduced and the colony will not lie as strong or may even be 
dest roved. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



21 



SAV ARMING. 

As the season progresses and the popuhxtion of the hive increases, 
preparations for swarming may be made. Queen cells are built, (See 
Figure 17) and when the young queens are nearly ready to hatch, the 
swarm emerges, usually on some sunny morning. They pour out like a 
torrent of living water and rapidly rising into the air, dart and circle 
about until finally they begin to gather on some limb or other object, 
and soon they are all clustered in a l)ig irrcguhir mass. If not taken 
down and hi\'ed they will seek some cavity and enter it. Within the 







C^ueeii Cells. 



hive or cavity they again cluster and most of them remain very 
quiet. Slowly the wax scales jjush out from Ijetween the rings of 
the abdomen and are taken antl worked into coml), which is soon 
occupied with eggs, pollen and honey. 

Bees of most all ages go out with the swarm ami the ([ueen joins 
the throng usually when the swarm is al)out half out. If the ciueen 
fails to go with the swann they will return to the parent hive. 

If only a small part of the bees go out as a swarm, another swarm 
may follow when the young queens begin to hatch, or it may ha 
delayed until the surviving young tiueen flies to mate. 

Young cjueens mate about ten days after leaving the cell, though 
from adverse weather or scarcity of drones, it may be deferred for 



rl STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

two or three w(>eks. As soon as mated the queen returns to the hive 
and within a chiy or two begins hiving. 

Young queens sometimes mate several times l^efore they begin 
to lay, but after they commence to lay they never mate again. If a 
([ueen fails to mate she will ultimately begin to lay, but her eggs will 
produce only drones. These may be i)laced in worker comb, but as 
soon as the bees cap the brootl the raised l)ullet-like cappings betray 
the sex of the contained young. Such a queen should Ije replaced 
with a good one. 

The average time of incubation of the eggs is three days, though it 
varies with the temperature. From the eggs a minute white grub 
(larva) is hatched, and this is supplied with and lies in a milky white 
food prepared in the stomachs of the nurses from pollen and honey. 
It is fed thus for six days by Avhich time it has grown until it fills the 
cell and it is tlien capped over and spins its cocoon and metamor- 
phoses, turning from a grub into a bee as does the caterpillar into a 
butterfly. 

The worker takes twelve days to make the change and the drone 
fifteen. 

The " queen larvie "' receive a more abundant supply of the prepared 
food and take only seven days to change from grub to perfect l^ee. 
It is currently said that larvie intended for queens receive a different 
food from that gi\'en To the worker larva", l)Ut there are now good 
reasons for l)elieving that it is (juantity ordy that is varied, the chem- 
ical difference arising after it is put into the c(dls. 

If the ([ueen of a colon}- is removed intentionally or accidentally, 
the workers jn'oceed to raise one or several more l:)y enlarging some 
of the cells containing worker U'emale) lar\'a', and supplying the 
necessary food. In due time such individuals emerge as })erfect 
queens. If the l)ees have neither eggs nor young larvte they cannot 
]"aise a queen and unless the l)eekeeper su[)j)lies lu'ood (ti' a queen, 
the colony will perish. The l;)ees rarely tolei-ate more than one laying 
queen in the hiv( at a time. Perhaps it were UKire correct to say 
that the (jueen I'ai'ely permits another ([ueen to remain long, for 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 23 

man can put in several qneens and have each one hiving for a time, 
but sooner or hxter ah but one disappear. 

I3IP0RTA\CE OF GOOD QUEENS. 

The success of the colony depends upon the c[ucen, so it behooves 
the beekeeper to see that each colony has a young and vigorous one. 

LNTRODUCING QUEENS. 

Introducing a new queen is a matter of much anxiety to the be- 
ginner. The first essential is to remove the old queen or if she is 
missing to be sure that no capped cell or young queen is present. 
Two methods of introduction are in common use, the ''cage method " 
and the "direct." By the first, the queen is confined in a small cage; 
usually with a few attendants, and the exit of the cage is plugged 
with a sort of candy made of powdered sugar and honey kneaded 
together. The cage is placed on top of the frames or between the 
combs and allowed to remain mitil the candy has been eaten out 
and the ciueen freed. 

The "direct method " consists of letting the queen run in free. It 
is helpful to confine the cpieen alone and without food for 
twenty to thirt}' minutes before running her in, in the meantime 
keeping her waim. The key to success in this ]nethod really lies 
in getting, the bees of the colony to which thci cpieen is to bo 
given into a condition of extreme distress or " fear." The experienced 
operator does this readily with smoke, and his ear quickly tells the 
"pitch" of the bees "roaring," which indicates the desired condition. 
When this is reached the queen is run in either at the entrance or on 
top of the frames, preferably at the latter place, and the hive quickly 
closed. She is immediately one of the mass of distressed bees each 
turning to the other for "help" and when the disturbance subsides 
she is quite as much at home as the}' are. A colony infested with 
la}'ing workei's will accept a queen run in in this way when they will 
not in any other, but unless they have been given a frame of un- 



24 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

sealed brood shortly before or soon after the ([ueen is introduced, they 
not infrequenth' destroy her in a few da}'s or a week, or fail to properly 
feed the young. As a rule a colony containing laying workers is of 
too little value to try to save and should be united with some normal 
colony. 

CLIPPING QUEENS. 

For the convenience of the l^eekeeper at swarming time all ciueens 
should have their wings clipped. As the ([ueens use their wings in 
helping themselves out of cells after laying it is not wise to cut both 
pairs of wings. It will be found sufficient and best to snip only the 
tips from the wings of one side. The (pieen may l^e al)le to fly a 
x'cry little, l)ut not enough to enable her to go far or to rise to some 
inaccessible limb with the swarm. 

HANDLING BEES. 

Bees are more easily handled in the forenoon than later. At such 
times most of the field bees are out and the }'oung bees in the hive 
are not as troublesome as the older or field l)('es. \'ery young bees, 
however, do sometimes have a facult\' for rvuuiing wildly o^'er the 
combs, particularly when the older l)ees are i>resent oul}' in small 
numl)ers. This action often bothers a novice when he is trying to 
find a queen. 

USING THE S3I()KER. 

Oftentimes no smoke is necessary in liaiidling bees, l)ut it is a good 
rule never to open a hive without having a good sui)ply of smoke 
available. Most anytliing which will l)urn A\-ill do for fuel in the 
smoker, l)ut on most farms old l)urlap liagging which has l^een lying 
around in the open until it has liegun to deca}' is a\'ailable in abun- 
dance and makes ideal fuel. New or \mrotte<l liurlaixloes not kindle 
or ])urn at all well. Chips, partly decayed wood, c(jtton waste or 
rags, or any similar sul:)stance, will do. Some beekeepers always 
Ix'gin ^\•ith a iniff of smoke at the entrance, others never use it there, 
and ivsults seem to fa\'or the latter. Aftei- starting the cover loose, 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



25 



a slight puff of smoke is blown luuler it, and then it is removed. If 
the bees show signs of " boihng up " over the tops of the frames, more 
smoke is blown over them from time to time. Not much smoke is 
needed, in fact, the l)eekeeper should study to see how little can be 
used . 

REMOMXG FRAMES. 

To remove a frame from the hive push liack and remove the 
"division board" (follower), (Fig. IS), making room to spread the 
frames so as to give space to take out the desired one. If a little 
room is not thus secured, the bees are rolled over and over with 
the bees on the adjacent combs and much irritated, making work 
difficult and disagreeable for the beekeeper. "Ten-frame" hives 




Fig. is. — Divisiou Board or Follower. 

will not take ten frames and allow for such sliding Ijack, so for 
easiest work nine frames and a division l^oard (follower) are used. 

Handle combs with quiet easy movements. Avoid quick, nervous 
motions or striking at bees. If stung scrape out the sting with knife 
or finger nail and l)low a little smoke on the spot to hide the odor, as 
bees are excited l)y the odor of the bee poison and often follow up 
the first sting with others when it is not so treated. The veteran, 
however, gets more or less immune to bee stings, and unless they come 
thick and fast, pays but little attention to them. 

If the bees get much excited and begin to dart at one 's veil, bur- 
row into the clothing and generally show signs of " anger," the hive 
should be closed as quickly as possible and operations deferred until 
some other day. 

4 



26 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

STINGS. 

Bee stings are rarely serious unless received in great numliers. 
The pain is not long continued. an<l the swelling which (except on 
seasoned veterans) usually follows larely remains for more than a 
couple of days. A little honey smeared over the injured spot will 
afford as much relief as anything. If you fail to appreciate your 
appearance after a sting or two on the face trv to console yourself 
with the thought of the amusement it gives those who look at you, 
then grin — but not when an^'one is looking. 

CAUTIOX. 

Avoid handling bees on cold or wet days or on ver}' windy days. 
Do not go prying into the brood nest of big colonies when they are 
luisy i)iling up a surplus. Interference at such times is needless and 
detrimental, besides, a jxtpulous colony, for in.stance, one that is filling 
the body and several supers, is a difficult thing for anyone but a skilled 
bee-master to pull to pieces, and he rarely does it if it can l)e avoided. 

In handling combs always keep them "edge up." Do not turn 
them o\'er ''flat ways"' or you may find them breaking from the 
frames. 

Keep your colonies strong. This is old advice but good. Unless 
they are strong they will not give the 1:)est residts. ^'ig(Jrous queens 
will do more towards giving .strong colonies than any possil)l(> fussing 
of the beekeeper. For Rhode Island it has been found that best 
]'esults follow when the colonies are re-queened in August with 
queens Avliich were I'carcd in late July or early August. Also the 
colonies are not so po))ulous tlien as earlier and finding the old queen 
is easier. 

I XITIXG BEES. 

"When lionc}" is l)eing gathered fi-eely the bees of different colonies 
may l)e ])\U together Avithout any ])reciUition, l)Ut at othcu' times it 
may be necessai'y to get them into quite an uproar with smoke 
before uniting tliem. The miiting mav be doiu^ bv setting one hive 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 27 

body directly on another, letting the bees mingle at will; or the 
combs with bees on them may all be put in one body; or the bees 
may be shaken from the combs before a hive and allowed to ci'awl in. 
Queenless bees unite more readily than those having a c[ueen. If 
one of the c^ueens is not removed l:)y the beekeeper the bees attend 
to the matter, at least one c{ueen or the other is soon desi)atclied. 

MOVING COLONIES. 

Do not change the location of tlie hives in the apiary after the bees 
have begun to fly in the spring, unless one of these two methods is 
followed: either moving but about a foot each day; or confining the 
bees to the hive and placing them in a cool cellar for three or four 
days and then liberating them at night and placing some obstruction, 
such as a bunch of grass or a bush, before the entrance. This assists 
in making them "take their location" when starting out the next 
day. When confined to the hives they should have wire cloth over 
the top of the hive and over the entrance. If the weather is hot, a 
sponge or roll of cloth saturated with water should Ije laid on the wire. 

ROBBING. 

When working among the bees take pains not to spill any honey 
about or leave comb containing honey where the bees can get at it. 
Sweets so exposed may start rol)bing and this is particularly likely 
to occur if little or no food is to be found in the fields, fobbing once 
well under way is an unpleastmt, even a serious matter. The easiest 
way the writer has found to stop it has been to put an abundance 
of syrup or honey a few rods from the apiary and get the bees started 
on it by walking among the hives with a comb of honey until it was 
well covered with bees and then gentl}' carrying it to the food and 
leaving it. If enough food is put there to keep the bees busy until 
dark and the empty receptacles left there for the bees to smell over 
the next day, the evil is generally stopped without further trouble. 



28 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



FEEDING. 

The 1)00 master rarel}' has to food his l)oos, but sometimes drouth 
or storm make il necessary to supply the lieos with food to keep them 
aUve or for their winter stores. The fccdini;- is profrralily done 
inside the hive. An cnijny bod}' is phioed on top of the brood 
chamber, and a numlier of fruit jars filled with syrup and their tops 
covered with chccso cloth are inverted on the frames and the hive 
cover put on. The l)oes will take the food through the cloth. Be 
sure the cloths are tie<l on S'^cuiely. A syru}), half su.gar and half 
water, stirred toucthor until the sugar is dissoh-cd is right. If the 
f('0(ling is done in the fall when the weather is cool, have the s\-rup 




Fig. 19. — Divisioa Board Feeder. 



warm, say about 100° to 120". Feeiling is preferal)ly done near 
nightfall. I"or '" winter stores " a colon}' needs about thirty pounds of 
honey oi' s}'rup. As the bees consume more or loss of the syrup while 
moving it, it is usually necessary to feed about ton j^oiuids more. 
Feeding foi' winter shovd(i be finishcMl before tlie middle of October, 
jH"eforal)l}' before the last of September. 

Normally strong colonies ro-(]uoened in August will, with an al)und- 
ance of stoi'os, come out strong in the spring, and no "tinkering"' in 
the way of stimid:uive feeding in the spring will hoi}) them, ^'arious 
feeders are sold b}' the supply houses, the most convenient Ix'ing the 
division tioard feeder. (Fig. 19.) The fruit jar will be found to 
moot most needs, however. 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 29 

THE HOXEY CROP. 

With strong colonies the securing of the honey crop is a relatively 
simple proposition. It may be tersely stated as putting on the supers 
and letting the bees alone. Put on the ciueen-excluding honey board 
and the "super" on top of that. If the beekeeper is away much or 
cannot see the bees for a week or more at a time, put on at the start 
all the super room thought necessar}-. Do not be afraid to gi\'e 
"too much.'' If the colony is properh' strong it will use the space 
as it needs it. If it is convenient, give the supers when the first 
flowers open of the kind from which the surplus is gathered, as at 
the time of apple bloom, etc. If not convenient to be on hand, then 
give them earlier. 

Do -not give supers to colonies which have not liees enough to fully 
cover the combs of the lirood nest. Better iniite two such colonies, 
making one strong one, and give that the sujiers. 

In producing honey in "sections" it is desiral)le to remove them 
as soon as the bees have capped the comics in order to retain the 
whiteness of the cappings. As part of the combs are often finished 
sometime ahead of the rest, it is sometimes deemed wise to remove 
the supers, take out the finished sections, refill the supers with the 
partly filled sections and return them to the bees. The bee escape 
board is excellent for removing coml) honey as the bees leave the 
combs ciuietly without cutting the cappings. Put on the escape 
boards near night and remove the honey in the morning. Usually 
only one super is removed from a hiv(» at a time. If two or nuu'e are 
to be taken from one hive or if the weather is hot and close, it is often 
wise to slip nails or chi})s luider the hive cover just enough to let the 
air circulate, but not enough to let bees pass. 

In removing comics for extracting, the escape board may be used 
and is especially helpful to beginners. If it is not used, the combs 
are taken from the suj)er or upper story one tit a time, and the bees 
shaken or brushed from them either into the hive or in front of it, and 
the combs taken indoors. A bunch of asparagus tops or coarse grass 



30 STATE BOARD OF AORICULTURE. 

makes an excellent brusli. When it gets sticky throw it away and 
get a fi'esh one. 

EXTRACTING. 

At liest, extracting is a sticky and hilxn'ioirs jol). It conies when 
the Aveathei- is hot and often when other worlc is pressing. It may, 
however, he deh'ri'ed initil some more convenient season, if one has 
plenty of surplus combs. Also tlie longer honey remains in the hive 
the richer and better it l)ecomes. All one has to look out for is to get 
the crop of light-colored honey off before the d;ii-k honey begins to b'_! 
gathered, and herein the; value of knowledge of the honey yields (pas- 
turage) of the localit}' Ijecomes api)arent. 

After the combs are safely indoors they may be left in some warm 
and di'y i-ooni shut up from Ijees and ants until it is convenient to 
extract, or the honey may l;)e extracted at once and the emptied combs 
returneil to the bees. Give such combs at as near night fall as possi- 
ble. Combs fi'esh from the extractor create great excitement among 
the bees, and if given in the day time are liable to cause trouljle. 

UXCAPPIXG. 

Uncap]:)ing the cond)s is done with a keen stiff-bladed knife, a 
butcher's knife with a twelve-inch Ijlade is excellent. A pan or tub 
is used to catch the ca])ijings. The frame rests on a strip of wood 
])laced across the tul) and while the frame is held by one hand, the 
other slices off the capi)ing with a downwai'd sawing stroke. Deep 
cutting does no harm as the bees quickly rej)air the comljs. 

If the honey is vei'y tliick or not very warm it may throw out very 
slowly. If so, thi-ow it [tartly from one side, then all from the other, 
and then hnisli tlu^ hrst side. This procedure avoids crushing the 
com])s into the wire l;)askets of the extractor. 

For a limit eil amoimt of honey an extractor is not necessary. If 
the combs are newly built and are filled al)Ove a queen-excluding 
honey board, they will \h: free from young Ix'es and contain little or 
no pollen, he]\ce may be cut fi'oni the frames, crushed in a l)ag of 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 31 

strainer cloth and hung in some warm place to drain. This treat- 
ment may be given the cappings to obtain the hone}' mixed with 
them. After the honey has drained out, the comb is emptied into any 
convenient receptacle — except one of black iron or rusty tin — and 
melted and strained. 

SAVAR3IS AND THEIR TREAT3IE\T. 

With all man's care and precautions bees seem prone to swarm 
just when it is least desired, which is when they are most busily at 
work gathering honey, and this seems particularly so when they are 
storing in sections. Shade, large entrances, an airy location, plenty 
of room for queen as well as for storage, all tend to deter swarming, 
but some always seem l)ound to swarm. About half th(( colonies in 
an apiary usually swarm under the systems mostly in vog\ie. 

AVhen the bees do swarm, if the queen was clipped she will Ix- found 
on the grass or ground not far from the hive. She should be picked 
up and caged with a few of her workers. Th(^ hive should be set to 
the rear and another containing onl}' frames with narrow starters of 
foundation put in its place. By this time the liees. not having a 
<iueen with them, will be coming back. Lay the caged cpieen at the 
entrance while transferring the honey board and supers, with all the 
contained bees from the old to the new hive. Next shake all the 
bees from about half of the comics of th(^ brood chamber of the old 
hive in front of the new one. In doing this have a wide lioard, hive 
cover or ]>ox placeil levrl with the hive entrance to shake the l)ees on. 
When the majority of the bees are in, liberate the queen at the hive 
entrance and see that she goes in, using a puff of smoker if nce(l l^e. 
Usually the bees will settle down to work again, and having no comljs 
for storage Ixdow, will put all the honey above. Generally this is an 
excellent plan, but sometimes it does not work, the Ix-es trying to 
swarm again. If this occurs, re-cage the r^ueen, and ])lace the cage 
in the hive for a few days. If the l^eekeeper is n(jt on hand to see the 
swarm, the bees, on missing the queen, will return to the hive. A 
few may find the queen in the grass an<l gather about hei' and thus 



32 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

indicate her Avhorcabouts to the beekeeper. If she is not given back 
to the bees, or if the Ix'ekeeper is away and the qneen perishes, the 
l)ees, after a day more or less of uneasiness, settle down to work again. 
If they Inive plenty of ventilation and storage room they rarely 
swarm with the young queen which succeeds the first swarming. 

If the fjueen is not cli})ped and the swarm clusters where it can bo 
reached, it is usually easiest to shake it into a basket or box, cover 
it A\ith a cloth, carry it to the stand it came from, and Avhen the new 
hive is ready, i)0ur out the bees in front of and against the hive just 
as if they were so many beans. Keep empty hives which are awaiting 
swarms in some cool place or shaded. Bees do not readily enter hot 
hives. 

FORCED SWAR3II\Ci. 

AMien a colony seems to l)e jn'eparing to swarm, indicated l)y great 
pojjulation, starting of queen cells, ])ees hanging in masses on front 
of hive or about the entrance, it is the practice of some beekeepers 
to shake the l)ees from the combs, giving the bees a new hive on the 
old stand as in natural swarming, transferring to it the supers with 
th(^ contained bees and giving the old brooii chamlx'r with its combs 
to SOUK! other colony to care for. Some vary this method l)y leaving 
about half the combs unshaken and placing the ohl hive at one side 
of the new. In a week it is change^l to the other side of the new hive, 
and a week later l)ack again; this is to throw the force of ycnuig fi<dd 
bees into the " swarm." 

Another variation is to give the lirood from which the " swarm" 
was shaken, to some weak colony, a W(;ek or so later de-(pieen it, and 
the next day shake most of the l)ees into or before the swarm. In 
foi-c.nl swarming it is well to make the "swarm" enter the new 
hi\'e through a ([ueen-excluding honey board temporarily placed 
under the hive body or tln'ough an "entrances guard " of excluder 
metal or through a drone trap. This shuts out all the drones. The 
(jueen is put inside the hive. It is wise to leave the guard or "ex- 
cluder board" in place for a few days, for "forced swarms" some- 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 33 

times get uneasy and "swarm out." As soon as they have settled 
down to work again the guard should be removed. The drones 
are kept out so as to avoid one disturbing element (as they are such 
when confined) and also to keep them from choking the entrance in 
their efforts to get out while the guard is on. 

Forced swarming is profitably followed when treating colonies 
afflicted with any of the contagious diseases, except that the combs 
taken away are not later shaken before the " swarm " for if they were, 
re-infection would be certain. 

REARING QUEENS. 

Every beekeeper should raise his own queens and not dej^end upon 
the commercial queen breeders for anything but a new r^ueen for 
breeding purposes. 

The easiest way to secure a few young queens is to divide the combs 
of a colony that has swarmed into lots of twos or threes, seeing that 
each lot has one or more queen cells. Place these combs in empty 
hives, reduce the entrance so but one or two bees can pass, and place 
the hives away from the large colonies, if con\'enient. In due time 
the young queens will hatch and mate and may then be used as 
desired. 

Another simple wa}' is to take a conil), preferal)ly not a very old 
one, put it in the middle of the colony from the (jueen of which it is 
desired to raise new queens and five days later remove it. It will })e 
found to Ijc filled with eggs and very small larvai. With a knife slice 
oft' a couple of inches or more from the lower ])art of the comb. This 
is to give the bees a better opportunity to build cells and also the}- 
will be built in a more convenient place for the beekeeper. 

Place this comb with its adhering bees, but without the queen, 
in an empty hive and on each side of it ]^lace a comb containing 
honey and pollen. Also give water in a division-board feeder or by a 
sponge. Now shake into this hive all the bees from two frames taken 
from the center of the same or of another good colony, being sure not 
to get the queen. Close the hive entrance with wire cloth and put 



34 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 

the hive in the eehar or some moderately eool phiee for twenty-four 
hours, then set it out of doors, remove the wire and reiUice the 
entranee. The hberation is prefereably dom; near nightfah. 

Foui' (hiys after the first cell is sealed, form small colonies (nuclei) 
of a frame or two of brood and Ijees, confine them as the cell Ijuilding 
colony was treated, li))erate them the next evening and give each 
little colony a sealed cell. To do this easily, cut the cell from the 
coml) together with a ])icce of the comb, say an inch square, and 
slightly separating two combs of the small colony (nucleus) place 
the cell part way down between them and ])ush tlie comljs together 
enough to hold it. 

T^\() factors are important in raising queens, food and warmth. 
The first is secured l:)y having an alnmdance of young bees (nurses), 
and tlie secoml by the al:)undance of liees, reduced entrance, and if 
needs be, as during a cold storm, t'overing the hive with tarred paper 
or some similar method. 

The best queens are genca'ally raised in warm weather and during 
a good honey flow. If they are to be raised when little lioney is to 
be f(»und in the fields, feeding will l)e necessary. It nuist be (Minstant 
until the cells are s<'aled. Use only sugar syrup for such feeding. 
Honey so used is lial)le to induce ro]:)l)ing. 

RACES OF BEES. 

If tlie bees one has are goo<l workers and liandle fairly widl, it is 
wise to go slow in changing them. Most l^ees in Rhode Island are 
Blacks or Italians, or a mixture of the two. Some of the less common 
races have l:)een iutroduce(l, l)ut luive soon Ijccome merged with the 
others. The Italian l)ee is jirobalily the best all-round bee we have. 
The different sti'ains vary in color or work in slight degree. If it is 
tU^sired to change one's stock, buy a few (lueens, getting one or two 
each from diffei'cnt breeders. Try them out for a year and then 
breed fi'om the l)est. The " leather-colored " Italians are to be pre- 
ferred to the ■' 3'ellow " or " golden " type. 



HOW TO KEEP BEE8. 35 

INCREASE. 

If increase is 2iot desired, the brood and remaining bees left by a 
swarm are united with some other colony after remo\"ing its queen 
or after destroying the ciueen cells in the hi\'e the swarm left. If 
increase is desired, the old hive, now much reduced in numbers and 
without a queen, is placed on a new stand and looked at in about a 
fortnight to three weeks to see if the young queen is laying. With a 
good young ciueen it will soon become strong. 

ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 

Colonies of bees ma}' be divided into two or more parts, the old 
queen left with the part on the old stand and a new queen given to 
the other part. The hives are filled out with combs or frames con- 
taining full sheets of foundation and the bees allowed to build up. 
This form of increase is excellent, but needs to be done with caution. 
It is best done during a good honey flow, l^ut done then it puts an 
end to hope of surplus from the colonies treate*!. Indiscriminate 
division is unwise, and if a colony is divided into many parts, each 
may be too small to thri\'e, and the whole colon}' l)e lost. 

Another excellent way to increase, but a little more laborious is to 
take a frame of brood with adhering bees from each of five or six 
colonies, put them together in one hive, fill out the emi)t}' space with 
combs or frames of foundation, and introduce a c[ueen. If seven 
or eight frames of brood are taken this method mav be us(>d as late 
as the middle of September, but as a rule it is not wise to divide 
colonies after the middle of August. An expert ma}' safely do it later 
but the beginner had better not try it. 

M.\RKETING HONEY. 

There are a few rules which should never be forgotten and should 
always be followed if one wishes to succeed in the honey Inisiness: 
First: Never sell or give away an}' unripe or ill-flavoretl honey. 



36 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

Second: Always ha\'c the packages rlcan and free from stickiness. 
If in hot ties, jai's or cans, be sure the}' do not leak. 

Third: If pi'oducing consitleraljle cjuantities of honey and selling 
to stoi'es or shipping it a^vay have each case of comb honey all of one 
kind, and all sections as near as possible eciually filled and capped. 
Have the honey of each lot in bottles of the same kind. 

Sell first to your neighb(n-s, next to the stores in your nearest town^ 
and by the time 3'our crops are too large for them to handle you will 
have learned where and how to sell large quantities. If you start 
supijlying a store, try and reserve enough honey of the kind you 
start with to cany that customer through to the next season. Noth- 
ing so upsets the honey trade as a change in the flavor of honey. 
Many beekeepers are now practicing "blending" or mixing their 
vai'ious sorts of extracted honey so as to have it all of one general 
flavor. This is excellent practice, but requires experience for its 
greatest success. Strong flavored or very dark honeys must be 
scrupulously left out of such blends. 

The best that can be done with coml_i honey is to see that in each 
cas(> all of the sections ai'e of the same crop and endeavor to supply 
only one kind to one customer for the season. 

^^'hen customers comment on the differences in flavor it is necessary 
to ex}>lain tliat the flavors of honey from different sorts of flowers 
vary as do the odors. 

Extracted honey will granulate or crystallize in time, hence it is 
not wise to l)ottle at one time more than the customer is likely to 
dispose of before it begins to gramdate. 

In melting granulated honey heat it slowly and as soon as it softens 
stir it from time to time that it may heat uniforndy. Be careful not 
to over-heat it or the flavor will be injured or spoilcfl, and the honey 
darkened. About 130° F. is as high as it is safe to heat it. 

PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING. 

These should begin in August witli the re-ipieening of the colonies. 
If thei-e is a dearth of nectar and the prospects of an immediate flow are 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 37 

slight, it is good policy to stimulate the production of i^rood. Prob- 
ably the very best way to do this Ijoth for economy of labor and 
material and for the excellence of the results is to hang in each brood 
chamber one of the "division board " feeders (Fig. 19), filled with soft 
"Coffee A" sugar. Do not add any water to it. This .system was 
devised by Mr. Samuel Simmins, an eminent British beekeeper, and 
is one of the best things he ever gave to the public. The bees feed 
on the sugar just fast enough to keep the queen laying well. They 
do not store any of the liquified sugar in the combs. 

By the time the first frost cuts short the flowers, the colonies will 
be found to have a large population of young and vigorous bees. 
If the ''fall flowers" did not yield enough to fill the combs well with 
honey the bees nuist be fed at once. Syrup of granulated sugar and 
water is the proper thing to use. Do not use " Brown " sugar. Make 
the syrup half sugar and half water, or if you liave delayed too long, 
until the da3's as well as nights are cool, make it two-thirds sugar and 
one-third water. Feed enough so that the l^ees have not less than 
thirty pounds of stores. A Langstroth comb when filled contains 
about six pounds of honey, and in estimating supplies remembcn- that 
brood combs contain nuich pollen and if hive and contents are weighed 
and from the gross weight the weight of a drv hive and set of combs 
are deducted, rememl^er that old leathery or pollen-filled combs weigh 
ver}- much more than new ones and that the bees weigh from three to 
six pounds or even more in a very strong colon}'. Better give more 
than you think they need, and then some more. 

Bees do not use much food in winter (sometimes as low as two 
pounds), but when they get right down to brood rearing in the spring, 
.stores vanish like snow in the summer's sun. When ;dl colonics are 
supplied with food, .see that all covers are water tight, that the hives 
are level, or tilt slightly toward the entrance, fix the covers so they 
cannot blow ofT and then let them strictly alone until late spring. 
If mice are numerous it is a good plan to put across each hive entrance 
a piece of wire cloth with meshes large enougli for bees to pass, but too 
small to admit mice. 



38 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

If single ply tarred paper or any other waterproof black paper is 
laid over each hivo, folded down around the sides as one would do 
up a Ijundle and secured by strips of lath tacked along the lower edge, 
excellent protection is afforded Ixjth from moisture and from wind. 
Never close the entrance. It may V)e reduced in size, even down to a 
square inch, ]-)ut the experience of years has shown that colonies with 
entrances wide open (/. c. 14 Ijy 1 inch) are not only just as strong 
in the spring as those with reduced entrances, l)Ut often stronger. 

Atioid carcfulh/ to tJtis jail irork Xo amount of fussing and feed- 
ing in the spring will make amends for neglect in the fall. 

CELLAR WINTERING. 

It is (piite unnecessary to put bees in the c(dlar in this climate, in 
fact they are much better off out of doors. Some persons put them 
under sheds, packing all about with leaves or similar material. This 
is unwise as the hives get damp and the l~)ees do not get the Ixuiefit of 
the sun and air. Lea\'e them where tlie\' stood all summer, merely 
erecting souk; sort of a wind l)reak if in an e^iiosed })lace. 

ENEMIES. 

Bees have few real enemies here. Skunks sometimes tlisturb them 
when the hives sit close to the ground. Ants not infrequently annoy 
them and occasionally l)ecome a real nuisance. They are readily 
destroyed by pouring gasoline into their nests, or the legs of the hive 
stands nuiy l)e jjlaced in tin can covers and a little crude oil or 
kerosene poured into each. Birds rarely disturb them. The king 
l)ird or bee martin catches a few, l)ut as these l)irds do so nmch good 
in devouring ^•arious noxious insects, we can well afford to give them 
a bee now and then. To a person engage^l in commercial queen 
learing a pair of king l)ir(ls may l^ecome a decide(l \)oM:, for they seem 
])rone to catch the young (jueeus. If shot at a few times with blank 
eharges the}' rarely fail to chang(^ their hunting ground. 

" Wax moths " are often accused of killing out the bees. The bees 



HOW TO KEEP BEES. 39 

whose hive becomes infested with the larvoe of these moths will bo 
found to be depleted in numbers through loss of the cjueen, disease, 
or some unfavorable circumstance. The strong colonies will quickly 
dislodge any they can reach. Weak colonies, however, seem dis- 
couraged and give up the struggle against them until ere long the 
combs are reduced to a mass of webs and dirt. When discovered in 
this condition, scraping the hive clean and burning all the refuse is 
all that can be done. The chief preventive to their inroads is to keep 
the colonies strong, by having a vigorous queen in each on(\ 

Combs not in use should be stored in some dry room and inspected 
occasionally. If the "wax worms" appear, the comljs should be 
fumigated with binning sidphur and returned to the room. 

DISEASES. 

There are two contagious diseases of bees now recognized, both 
of which attack the brood or l^ees in the larval stage, and are known 
respectively as American Foul Brood and European Foul Brood, the 
latter being sometimes called Black Brood. The so-called Pickled 
Brood is seldom met with and does not seem to be infectious. The 
term " foul " as applied to brood disease was given on account of the 
odor emanating from the dead brood. The larvse die in the cells and 
turn brown or black. The colony becomes depleted in numbers 
and unless treatment is prompt and thorough the disease will spread 
through and destroy the whole apiary. 

In case of trouble or suspected disease, beekeepers are requested 
to write to the Entomological Department, State Board of Agricul- 
ture, State House, Providence, R. I., and the Apiary Inspector will 
render such aid as may be necessary. 



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